In what way is Jesus the "Son of God" different from the other "son/sons of God" in the Bible?
Upvote:1
Usually the Protestant Christian beliefs are grounded only on the interpretations of the biblical statements. Even in the case of the phrase "son of God" the Bible is the basis. In biblical terminology "son of" could mean in the order of. Ron Rhodes give the following explanation of the term in his book, "Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses" page 135:
Though the term [son of] can refer to "offspring of" in some contexts, it actually carries the more important meaning "of the order of." The phrase is often used that way in the Old Testament. For example, "sons of the prophets" meant "of the order of prophets" (1Kings.20:35). "Sons of the singers" meant "of the order of singers" (Nehemiah.12:28). Likewise, the phrase "Son of God" means "of the order of God," and represent a claim to undiminished deity.
So the biblical meaning of the phrase "Son of God" in the case of Jesus Christ is "in the order of God." However, it was not used in that sense when it was used in reference to others for they are not the true sons of God like Jesus Christ is.
The phrase "son of God" has been used in the Bible in reference to the following groups...
- Angels [Job.1:6,2:1]
- Adam [Luke.3:38]
- Children of Israel [Deuteronomy.14:1]
- All the believers belonging to the New Covenant [Romans.8:14-17]
- Jesus Christ [Mark.1:1; 1John.4:10]
In the above list, all the groups from 1 to 4 are referred to as merely the "sons of God." Besides, they were all created beings. Whereas only the last group i.e. consisting of Jesus Christ, is given the following specific descriptions that were never employed in reference to others...
- God's "Own" Son [Romans.8:3,31]
- God's "Beloved" Son [Matthew.3:17; 17:5]
- God's "Unique" Son [John.3:16-18]
The above descriptions set Jesus Christ above the rest indicating that He alone is the one who proceeded out of God as it were. In addition to this distinction, all the groups except the last one are alluded to as the created beings in the Bible [Revelation.5:13].
The phrase "The Son of God" is reserved for the promised messiah as the Bible makes it clear [Matthew.16:13-17, 26:63]. Jesus also makes this clear by claiming to be the promised Messiah and equating it with the title "The Son of God" [John.10:36].
Finally, in the light of the Biblical narratives the phrase "The Son of God" conveyed the meaning that the person whoever is the true "The Son of God" is basically equal to God or originated from within God! The following are some of the evidences to support this meaning...
"But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working. For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God." (John.5:17-18)
"My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus replied to them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “We are not stoning You for a good work, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”" (John.10:29-33)
In the light of the above evidences we can safely conclude that Jesus Christ is the only true Son of God and everyone else referred to as the sons of God in the Bible are either sons in the metaphorical sense or adopted sense.
More post
- 📝 To use or not use portable receptacles for baptism?
- 📝 What is the difference between ESV, NIV and NKJV
- 📝 Canon law - vows, acquired rights meaning problem
- 📝 Do Christians believe that more sinful people suffer more on Earth?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, can a tattoo be considered a sacramental?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, why are all sins against the 6th and 9th Commandments grave matter ex toto genere suo?
- 📝 What is the point of Jesus' crucifixion?
- 📝 Does the Orthodox church ever condone violence on an individual level?
- 📝 Does "Kehilat Bethlehem" community believe that the Law of Moses are the commandments Jesus is referring to in John 14:15?
- 📝 Why do Christians seek to convert everyone?
- 📝 Any philosphers arguing that the Christian worldview is the most rational?
- 📝 What do Catholic traditions say was the real name of St. Thomas?
- 📝 In what way is Jesus like Moses?
- 📝 Was there a different method of counting of age at the time of events of Old Testament? (Catholic perspective)
- 📝 How do Unitarians understand these verses which seem to say that all created things were created by Jesus?
- 📝 Was the Cold War a "rumor of a war"?
- 📝 What is the purpose of life according to Catholic and Orthodox Churches?
- 📝 What is the source of this quote from Augustine about thanking heretics?
- 📝 How does scripture suggest "How Can I Love God More"?
- 📝 Did everything Christ did perfectly match what was required for salvation?
- 📝 Did St. Nicholas punch Arius at the Council of Nicaea?
- 📝 Are there any saints or mystics who had a vision of hell, and based on that made a judgment about how many people are in hell? (Catholic perspective)
- 📝 From a Catholic viewpoint, why will there be a particular judgement and a general judgment?
- 📝 Can a baptized Protestant (but not confirmed as Catholic) receive absolution from a Catholic priest?
- 📝 Are there rules regarding the content of Roman Catholic artwork?
- 📝 Calvinist and Arminian debate before the 16th century?
- 📝 Is secularizing Christian symbols blasphemy?
- 📝 Does Young Earth Creationism teach that Adam and Eve only had a concept of morality after the fall?
- 📝 Why is Jesus sitting at "God’s right hand" not "the Father's right hand"?
- 📝 What are the origins and history of shaking, trembling, jerking, contorting, collapsing, fainting and similar manifestations in Christianity?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 In what way is Jesus the "Son of God" different from the other "son/sons of God" in the Bible?
- 📝 In what way is Jesus different from other sons of God according to Biblical Unitarians?
- 📝 What attributes does Jesus have from an LDS doctrinal perspective that are different from the Jesus in the Holy Trinity?
- 📝 How is the Christian Jesus different from the Muslim Jesus?
- 📝 Where can I find out more about other people rising from the dead, when Jesus died on the Cross?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for identifying the Lazarus Jesus raised from the dead and the Lazarus in the story of the rich man and Lazarus?
- 📝 What is the significance of the three different gifts (gold, frankincense and myrrh) given to Jesus by the Magi after his birth?
- 📝 What is the basis of the view that Jesus was separated from the Father and Holy Spirit upon death?
- 📝 What did Paul mean when he called Jesus the "firstborn from the dead"?
- 📝 What is an overview of different denominations' beliefs about how Jesus Christ performed miracles? (By the Holy Spirit or by something else?)
- 📝 In what way are we to be one, as Jesus and the Father are one?
- 📝 What was/is different about the way the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate celebrate the Novus Ordo Mass?
- 📝 What is the difference of the 10 commandments from other Biblical laws?
- 📝 What are the general positions of different traditions on the question "did Jesus have to die?"
- 📝 What verses from the Bible claim that Jesus has justified and redeemed man by his sacrifice on a cross?
- 📝 What is the name of the theory or thesis that the brothers of Jesus came from a previous marriage of St. Joseph?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean when He said “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me”
- 📝 How is the apparition in Luke chapter one different from other apparitions, such as in Lourdes?
- 📝 What are we to understand from Jesus committing his spirit into the Father's hands?
- 📝 From whom or what Jesus was hiding (afraid of) in the given cases during his ministry?
- 📝 What does it mean when Jesus cannot be separated from the Father and the Holy Ghost?
- 📝 What are the implications of Jesus Christ being the only way to obtain eternal life?
- 📝 What can we infer from the dialogue in Luke 22:70 that Jesus is the son of god?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for the concept that Jesus spent time in Hell?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Jesus being God incarnate?
- 📝 What extrabiblical sources support the existence of Jesus in history?
- 📝 From a Fundamentalist standpoint, what does the phrase "Inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God" mean?
- 📝 What are the different names of God in the Bible and what do they mean?
- 📝 What was it about the death of Jesus that allows God to forgive us?
- 📝 What are the differences between the different millenialisms?